Musharraf granted bail in Red Mosque killings case

Former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf was granted bail Nov. 4 in a criminal case concerning the death of radical cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi during an operation ordered by Musharraf on Islamabad's Red Mosque, which left more than 100 dead. Musharraf was arrested on these charges on Oct. 10. His bail is set to be paid in two bonds of $1,000 each. Prosecutors claim Musharraf caused the deaths by recklessly deploying security forces, while Musharraf's lawyers argue that his involvement was limited. Even after posting bail, Musharraf will be unable to leave the country under the orders from the Pakistani government. Musharraf's house arrest began in April after he was charged with involvement in the murder of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and others.

Pakistan officials on Nov. 18 filed a request with the nation's Supreme Court, asking the court to start treason proceedings against former president Pervez Musharraf. The government contends that Musharraf committed treason by suspending the constitution and imposed emergency rule in 2007. Musharraf was ousted from power in 2008 and has faced several criminal charges, including allegedly assassinating former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. If convicted, Musharraf faces a possible sentence of either life in prison or the death penalty.

A court in Pakistan on March 31 charged former president Pervez Musharraf with high treason. If convicted, the former leader could face the death penalty. Musharraf pleaded not guilty to each of the charges against him, including unlawfully suspending the constitution, firing Pakistan's chief justice and instituting emergency rule in 2007. Musharraf called the charges politically motivated, maintained that the country had prospered under his 2001-2008 rule and insisting that his declaring a state of emergency was not unconstitutional. A court order regarding the framing of the formal high treason charges was made by a special court in Pakistan last week. The court on Monday also rejected Musharraf's application to allow him to leave the country to visit his sick mother in Dubai despite being under house arrest. The court stated that the authority to remove him from the country's exit control list lay with the government, not the court.